N. Korean elite’s rare apology on building tragedy

Seoul, May 18: Senior North Korean officials have publicly apologised for an “unimaginable” accident at an apartment construction site, state media said on Sunday, a rare admission of culpability by the secretive hardline state.

South Korean officials said the incident involved the collapse of a 23- storey apartment building in Pyongyang’s Pyong-chon district, which already had close to 100 families in residence.

It is extremely unusual for the North to report negative news of this type, and its official KCNA news agency also reported equally rare apologies from top officials.

Leader Kim Jong- un “sat up all night, feeling painful” after being told about the accident, the agency said. The accident happened last Tuesday and was the result of “irresponsible” super-

● The officials said the incident involved the collapse of a 23storey apartment building, which had around 100 families

vision by the officials in charge of construction, KCNA reported. An intensive operation had been mounted to rescue survivors and treat the wounded, it said.

It did not give a figure for the number of dead or injured but said the accident left Pyongyang citizens “greatly shocked”. The agency carried apologies by the senior officials, including the minister of people’s security Choe Puil.

“It is common in North Korea that people move into a new apartment building before construction officially ends,” an official said.